Lifting girdle apparatus for enhancing the performance of a harness racing horse

Abstract

A lifting girdle apparatus for enhancing the performance of a harness racing horse includes a lifting girdle affixed to a harness and sulky at two points on each side of the horse with a clip that attaches to the harness, behind approximately the front quarter of the horse, and with a securing strap that runs vertically towards and around the shaft of the sulky. The securing strap is preferably made to be adjustable, for example by constructing the securing strap as a belt and utilizing a belt buckle. The ability to adjust the distance between the attachment clips and the lifting girdle allows for a trainer to configure the lifting girdle device apparatus for different sized horses for producing an optimum setting for horses of almost any size.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A lifting girdle apparatus for enhancing performance of a harness racing horse, comprising a lifting girdle affixable to a harness and sulky at two spaced-apart locations on one shaft of a plurality of shafts of said sulky on each side of a horse with a clip being attachable to the harness behind approximately a front quarter portion of the horse and with a securing strap running vertically towards and around a shaft of the sulky, said securing strap being rearwardly and laterally spaced from the harness and extending substantially upwardly from and coincident a rear edge of said lifting girdle. 
     
     
       2. The lifting girdle apparatus for enhancing performance of a harness racing horse according to  claim 1 , wherein said securing strap includes means for adjusting a length of said securing strap. 
     
     
       3. The lifting girdle apparatus for enhancing performance of a harness racing horse according to  claim 2 , wherein said means for adjusting the length of said securing strap includes a belt buckle. 
     
     
       4. A lifting girdle apparatus in combination with a horse harness for enhancing performance of a harness racing horse, comprising:
 a horse harness and a sulky, said sulky having a plurality of shafts for connecting said sulky to said horse harness; and, 
 a lifting girdle apparatus, including:
 a lifting girdle affixable to said horse harness and said sulky at two spaced-apart locations on one shaft of said plurality of shafts of said sulky on each side of a horse with a clip being attachable to said harness behind approximately a front quarter portion of the horse and with a securing strap running vertically towards and around a shaft of the sulky, said securing strap being rearwardly and laterally spaced from the harness and extending substantially parallel from and directly secured to a rear edge of said lifting girdle. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The lifting girdle apparatus in combination with a horse harness for enhancing performance of a harness racing horse of  claim 4 , wherein said securing strap includes means for adjusting a length of said securing strap of said lifting girdle apparatus. 
     
     
       6. The lifting girdle apparatus in combination with a horse harness for enhancing performance of a harness racing horse of  claim 5 , wherein said means for adjusting the length of said securing strap of said lifting girdle apparatus includes a belt buckle.